I'm thinking about charitable assumptions, communication, and community.
I don't think I've worried all that much in the past about the fact that almost everyone disagrees with me somewhere in my world view. Growing up liberal in South Carolina, a very conservative state, it's just the way things were. Mostly people were nice enough to me, although some people called me an n-word lover. I understood it was meant as an insult, I just wasn't sure how it was an insult. Like a lot of insults in my life, if it's true it's not going to be hurtful. Sorry.
I heard a vlog about conservative and liberal religious folk and their approach to the Hebrew Scripture or Old Testament. He said that conservative people looked to the laws and liberal people looked to the prophets. I find that to be true. I also wonder why there is a rift there. Prophets are just as harsh as the laws... more so, often. Laws are complex and arcane, difficult to follow under the best of circumstances. People who follow them tend to drop some (I mean, there are a few hundred of them) and lift up others. They wear tattoos and polyester blends while being outraged by men lying with men. And liberal people looking toward the prophets aren't usually all that gloomy, which you'd think we would be considering the prophesies.
I heard a Ted Talk about communication. He says that liberals look for values like fairness and equality while conservatives look for patriotism and purity. It made sense to me that there are different basic values, but I wonder if those are the ones that matter. I've heard conservative pundits use the term "empathy" with a vicious sneer. I've heard liberals use nationalism with the same tone. I look at supporters of the president and it doesn't look like patriotism or purity are their thing. Sure, I've heard respect the office of president, but I discount it from people who posted photos of President Obama and his family depicted as monkeys and worse.
I talked to a friend yesterday who said his conservative friends think Democrats and liberals are mean, ugly people. Democrats and liberals think the same about Republicans and conservatives. We also feel that we're doing the heavy lifting in trying to bridge the gap. I don't know if conservatives feel that way. It feels like they think we're "human scum" and not worth speaking to. On the other hand, "deplorables" is not the most helpful label in the world.
I am not further along in my thinking. I'm still saddened and confused by perfectly nice people who turn into hateful monsters when faced with people of color and people of different faiths or nationalities. I wonder how they see me. Lost and soulless? Without conviction? And yet I see myself as a very moral person.
I have babbled enough for this morning.
